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20110307004239I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 747-400 · Chicago, IL · March 7, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 7, 2011 · 05:40 local
Place
Chicago, IL
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
C45F
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
B2460
Reported as
Boeing 747-400
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Notified on 3/7/2011 by airworthiness supervisor of incident involving C45F at ord. Preliminary information was that aircraft hit a fence during pushback. Began investigation at air china cargo ramp facility at ord on 3/7/2011. It was noted there was damage to the blast fence at the cargo ramp. Ground personnel indicated that united airlines maintenance personnel had moved the aircraft to the united maintenance hangar. Upon arrival at united hangar, C45F, Boeing 747-400, serial number 24348, registration B-2640 was in the hangar and undergoing preliminary damage assessment. The left winglet was damaged beyond repair limits and there was an area of damage to left wing rear trailing edge. No other details were available at the time. On 3/8/2011 met with station manager of air china cargo. The station manager gave an account of what happened. The aircraft was loaded with cargo for departure with two crewmembers on board. At 0540 a united airlines ground person was driving the tug to push the aircraft for departure. The two wing walkers were from TAS (total aviation services). It was dark and clear weather conditions. The tug driver did not have any reference lines on the ramp to follow and lost sight of one of the wing walkers during maneuvering of the aircraft. The wing walker on the left signaled for the tug to stop but the tug driver could not stop the aircraft in time before impacting the left winglet to the blast fence. During the afternoon of 3/8/2011, met with several members of the united airlines safety working group. The tug driver was included in the discussion. The facts were nearly the same as presented by air china cargo with the exception of the tug driver noting there was a large yellow x painted on the ramp and he was unsure of the meaning of the marking. United airlines removed the left winglet from the air china cargo aircraft, and made a temporary repair to the trailing edge of the left wing. The aircraft departed ord at 0700 on 3/8/2010, enroute to jfk where final repairs were to be made.

As the FAA filed it

NOTIFIED ON 3/7/2011 BY AIRWORTHINESS SUPERVISOR OF INCIDENT INVOLVING C45F AT ORD. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION WAS THAT AIRCRAFT HIT A FENCE DURING PUSHBACK.BEGAN INVESTIGATION AT AIR CHINA CARGO RAMP FACILITY AT ORD ON 3/7/2011. IT WAS NOTED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE BLAST FENCE AT THE CARGO RAMP. GROUND PERSONNEL INDICATED THAT UNITED AIRLINES MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL HAD MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE UNITED MAINTENANCE HANGAR.UPON ARRIVAL AT UNITED HANGAR, C45F, BOEING 747-400, SERIAL NUMBER 24348, REGISTRATION B-2640 WAS IN THE HANGAR AND UNDERGOING PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. THE LEFT WINGLET WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR LIMITS AND THERE WAS AN AREA OF DAMAGE TO LEFT WING REAR TRAILING EDGE. NO OTHER DETAILS WERE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME.ON 3/8/2011 MET WITH STATION MANAGER OF AIR CHINA CARGO. THE STATION MANAGER GAVE AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH CARGO FOR DEPARTURE WITH TWO CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD. AT 0540 A UNITED AIRLINES GROUND PERSON WAS DRIVING THE TUG TO PUSH THE AIRCRAFT FOR DEPARTURE. THE TWO WING WALKERS WERE FROM TAS (TOTAL AVIATION SERVICES). IT WAS DARK AND CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE TUG DRIVER DID NOT HAVE ANY REFERENCE LINES ON THE RAMP TO FOLLOW AND LOST SIGHT OF ONE OF THE WING WALKERS DURING MANEUVERING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WING WALKER ON THE LEFT SIGNALED FOR THE TUG TO STOP BUT THE TUG DRIVER COULD NOT STOP THE AIRCRAFT IN TIME BEFORE IMPACTING THE LEFT WINGLET TO THE BLAST FENCE.DURING THE AFTERNOON OF 3/8/2011, MET WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE UNITED AIRLINES SAFETY WORKING GROUP. THE TUG DRIVER WAS INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION. THE FACTS WERE NEARLY THE SAME AS PRESENTED BY AIR CHINA CARGO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TUG DRIVER NOTING THERE WAS A LARGE YELLOW X PAINTED ON THE RAMP AND HE WAS UNSURE OF THE MEANING OF THE MARKING. UNITED AIRLINES REMOVED THE LEFT WINGLET FROM THE AIR CHINA CARGO AIRCRAFT, AND MADE A TEMPORARY REPAIR TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ORD AT 0700 ON 3/8/2010, ENROUTE TO JFK WHERE FINAL REPAIRS WERE TO BE MADE.